Mythral Shields

[Kaeso]

Mithral is a very rare silvery, glistening metal that is lighter than iron but just as hard. When worked like steel, it becomes a wonderful material from which to create armor and is occasionally used for other items as well. Most mithral armors are one category lighter than normal for purposes of movement and other limitations.

My question is short and simple: are mythral shields also counted as one catagory lighter (ie. do heavy steel shields become shields of the "light shield" catagory)? It'd be useful for a warblade I'm currently DMing a game for, because he wants to go the twf sword and board route.

[Flickerdart]

Agile Shield Fighter doesn't care about the weight of the shield you wield, so he can just take that instead of TWF. Otherwise no, mithral only makes armour lighter, not weapons.

[Daftendirekt]

Agile Shield Fighter doesn't care about the weight of the shield you wield, so he can just take that instead of TWF. Otherwise no, mithral only makes armour lighter, not weapons.

Well, shields ARE armor. But, you are correct in that by RAW, their weight category is not changed by being made of mithral.

[Flickerdart]

Well, shields ARE armor. But, you are correct in that by RAW, their weight category is not changed by being made of mithral.
Shields aren't armor - they don't take up the armor slot and don't provide an armor bonus.

[Diefje]

Spell failure chances for armors and shields made from mithral are decreased by 10%, maximum Dexterity bonus is increased by 2, and armor check penalties are lessened by 3 (to a minimum of 0).
And reduces its weight by half as well.

Besides some direct stats, there's no difference between light and heavy shields, so it really doesn't matter which it is. There is a difference between heavy and medium and light armors (can't do running jump in heavy, Run action is 3x instead of 4x, etc).

[Keld Denar]

A longsword is a 1handed weapon. A mithral longsword is a 1handed weapon.

A large shield is a 1handed weapon. A large mithral shield is a 1handed weapon.

Mithril changes the ACP, the ASF, and in the case of armor (and armor only), the catagory. It doesn't say anything about changing its weapon qualities, and mithral weapons don't change their weapon qualities alone. Thus, there is no change in a mithral shield's qualities other than the listed changes to ASF and ACP.

[Daftendirekt]

Shields aren't armor - they don't take up the armor slot and don't provide an armor bonus.

I meant it's armor in that it gives you a bonus to AC. Weapons don't do that.

[Flickerdart]

I meant it's armor in that it gives you a bonus to AC. Weapons don't do that.
Defending weapon enchantment, dwarven buckler-axe, gnome tortoise blade, broadblade short sword.

[Kaeso]

And reduces its weight by half as well.

Besides some direct stats, there's no difference between light and heavy shields, so it really doesn't matter which it is. There is a difference between heavy and medium and light armors (can't do running jump in heavy, Run action is 3x instead of 4x, etc).

A heavy steel shield is 15 lb. while a light steel shield is 6 lb.
A mythral "heavy" steel shield weighs 15/2 = 7.5 lb, only a fraction heavier than a light steel shield. Because RAW is a bit ambiguous on it, would it be fair to allow the mythral shield to count as light?

[Fax Celestis]

Fair? Probably. RAW? No.

[Flickerdart]

A heavy steel shield is 15 lb. while a light steel shield is 6 lb.
A mythral "heavy" steel shield weighs 15/2 = 7.5 lb, only a fraction heavier than a light steel shield. Because RAW is a bit ambiguous on it, would it be fair to allow the mythral shield to count as light?
RAW is not ambiguous. Weight is not a criterion for the category of a weapon, armour or shield: a light mace weight 4 pounds, while a one-handed Rapier weighs 2.

[Jeraa]

A heavy steel shield is 15 lb. while a light steel shield is 6 lb.
A mythral "heavy" steel shield weighs 15/2 = 7.5 lb, only a fraction heavier than a light steel shield. Because RAW is a bit ambiguous on it, would it be fair to allow the mythral shield to count as light?

No. Shields do not have categories like that. A shield is a shield. "Light Steel Sheild" and "Heavy Steel Shield" are names only. Its like making mithral chainmail, but using the stats for a chain shirt instead. They are two completely diffirent items. Making it out of a diffirent material won't change what it is.

Its still a heavy shield. Unless you count an ogres light wooden shield as a heavy wooden shield. They both weight the same, after all. Or an ogres chain shirt as full plate for a medium creature. They weight the same too.

A shields protection has no bearing on its weight, but how much of the body it covers. Making a shield out of a different material doesn't change that. It still covers the same amount, so should still provide the same bonus to AC, and still occupy that hand holding the shield.

[Diefje]

It's still a Mithral Heavy Shield. It's stats are 2 AC, 0 ACP, 5% ASF, 7.5lb weight. It has a hardness of 15, and 30 HP/inch. It costs 1170 gp (20 base, 150 mw, 1000 mithral).

There is literally no difference wether it counts as a light or heavy shield.

[Kaeso]

It's still a Mithral Heavy Shield. It's stats are 2 AC, 0 ACP, 5% ASF, 7.5lb weight. It has a hardness of 15, and 30 HP/inch. It costs 1170 gp (20 base, 150 mw, 1000 mithral).

There is literally no difference wether it counts as a light or heavy shield.

There is if you want to use it with twf.

[Ravens_cry]

I would say nope. A heavy shield is not based on weight, but on how large it is, what protection it provides and how it is attached to the hand and arm. While it might be quite a bit lighter, a mithral (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialMaterials.htm#mithral) heavy shield still is strapped on in the same way which restricts the use of a weapon in that hand.

[Diefje]

There is if you want to use it with twf.

Then no. Even a mithral weapon does not become light if it was onehanded before, so why should a shield?


In the case of weapons, this lighter weight does not change a weapon’s size category or the ease with which it can be wielded (whether it is light, one-handed, or two-handed).

Agile Shield Fighter does not care about it either way, so why rob yourself from offhand powerattacks?

[Fax Celestis]

You could feycraft it, though.

[GoatBoy]

One might argue that since you can use your shield hand for casting with a light shield but not a heavy one, then a mithril heavy should could be light enough to use your shield hand for casting while still getting the extra AC.

RAI, though. YMMV.

[Flickerdart]

One might argue that since you can use your shield hand for casting with a light shield but not a heavy one, then a mithril heavy should could be light enough to use your shield hand for casting while still getting the extra AC.

RAI, though. YMMV.
Nope. The weight has nothing to do with whether or not your hand is free to cast. You could put on 30-pound armbands and still cast with those hands.

[Hiro Protagonest]

One might argue that since you can use your shield hand for casting with a light shield but not a heavy one, then a mithril heavy should could be light enough to use your shield hand for casting while still getting the extra AC.

RAI, though. YMMV.

Weight does not affect category!

Weight isn't even the reason you can't cast with a heavy shield!